St. Joseph's
Grammar School, Donaghmore
Educating For the Future Since 1922
Principal's Welcome
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are delighted that you are considering St Joseph’s Grammar School/Scoil Iósaef for your child as they prepare to make the transition to post-primary school. This is an important decision, and we are confident that in choosing us, you are making one of the wisest investments in your child’s future.
Founded in 1922 by the Daughters of the Cross, our school has a proud history of serving the families of mid-Ulster for more than a century. We are a Catholic school open to pupils of all faiths and are proud and protective of the rich heritage left to us by our founders. We offer not just an excellent academic experience for all but are equally focused on ensuring our pupils leave us as well-rounded, positive young people who are fully equipped to play their part in society
Our school ethos is the bedrock for all our actions and decisions and means that we place the child at the centre of all that we do. Our mantra of “Be kind, be kind, be kind” is instilled in every child and adult and we aim to fulfil that goal every day in our school.
At St Joseph’s Grammar/Scoil Iósaef we offer a broad range of subjects that meets the needs and interests of all our pupils so that they enjoy what they are learning and can see the relevance of it for their future lives. Our staff are highly skilled and committed professionals who are passionate about ensuring that every child in our care achieves to the very best of their ability, and our exam results consistently bear this out. The vast majority of our school leavers go on to further studies either through higher apprenticeship programmes or directly into universities locally as well as in England and the south of Ireland.
Outside of the classroom, we offer a wide range of enrichment activities that you can read about throughout this prospectus and view on our social media accounts. I am confident that there is something to match everyone’s taste. Our team sports are important for building discipline and resolve so that the lessons learned on the field can be applied in other aspects of school life. Students who enjoy music and the creative arts are well served by the opportunities available to them to develop their talents and dreams. We firmly believe that travel broadens the mind and to this end we organise international trips that give our youngsters the chance to taste new cultures and develop their thirst to learn more about other cultures and countries.
Our Irish Medium Stream, Scoil Iósaef, is a vibrant and stimulating environment in which children develop their Irish language skills through the taught curriculum and the numerous cultural and linguistic opportunities open to them. We are delighted to play our part in passing on the language to the next generation of enthusiastic Gaeligori.
Unique to our school is an associated charitable foundation, Cairde Brogán, which was formed in 2017 in memory of the late Sr Mary Brogán. This organisation raises funds so as to provide additional opportunities for from the Principal 5 our pupils to develop their leadership skills in a wide variety of ways in school such as Dragon’s Den, SJS Bake-Off and other competitions throughout the school year. We are delighted to be the only school north of the border to offer scholarships to the prestigious Boston College “Ever to Excel Programme” through the Cairde Brogán foundation.
We are always working hard to ensure our facilities are as good as our young people deserve. I am pleased therefore that progress on the new £5 million facilities planned for St Joseph’s is gathering pace and we expect the SEP2 project to move to the planning approval stage in the Springtime. Very soon, we will enjoy the benefits of a new canteen, library, sixth form centre, additional classrooms and of course, a new 3-G pitch.
I look forward to telling you more about this exciting new development when you visit us for our Open Day on 15th January 2025 when you will also get the chance to meet many of our fantastic pupils who are keen to tell you all about their school.
I convey my very best wishes for you and your child in the months and years ahead
Geraldine Donnelly
PRINCIPAL